Week nineteen-Oleoresin Capsicum!

Oleoresin Capsicum! 

What does that mean?

It means....Ohhhhh Crappppp! (family version)

This week we got to experience being OC sprayed.  For those of you unfamiliar with what that means, it means RUN! 

It is pepper spray in your eyes, nose, and mouth.  OC, like taser, was an experience like no other in the academy. 

Each of us had an "escort" or a "buddy" to assist after being sprayed as we each completed required tasks consisting of a little bit of physical work and apprehending a suspect using our arrest control techniques.  The purpose of completing a required task immediately after being sprayed in the face with OC was to overcome the pain and prove that a task can be completed while enduring extreme pain.

I went first. 

My 40 classmates anxiously awaited what is to come their way.  The looks on their faces were anxiety, nervousness, and curiosity.  Once they started chanting "Schwartz, Schwartz, Schwartz" it was on!  I had no choice but to put my game face on and take the spray like a champ.

There we were.  The instructor...the OC....and me, staring directly at the canister.  I said, "okay," and before I knew it there was spray shooting in my eye.  It was like slow motion as the spray shot from the canister. 

"Ohhhhhhh Crapppppp," (family version) was going through my head.

My initial reaction was to run out of my skin.  The staff immediately put a stop to that nonsense.  Adrenaline shooting through my veins the OC did not hit me until about 20 seconds after.  After that I remember thinking, "this is worse than being tased,"  and if you have read any of my prior blogs you will know how much I disliked being tased.  Each recruit handled OC day like warriors!

Some of the recruits compared the feeling of being OC sprayed to:

"putting peroxide on a cut, but on your face for an hour"

"pouring gasoline on your face then lighting it on fire for an hour"

"the worst sunburn you have ever had"

"the worst carpet burn ever on the side of your face."

I pulled an Ace Ventura and drove home with my head out of the window to let the air decontaminate my eyes.

The best and only advice I will give to bad guys, anyone who is becoming a bad guy, or any of you who know a bad guy...COMPLY.

This week we also did a CrossFit workout that is a gut check WOD (workout of the day).  The best advice I can give to good guys or future recruits....CROSSFIT.  Start now.

The OC experience was a team bonding experience.  We literally leaned on each other and literally needed each other.  The things we have gone through together in this academy are a very special experience than many will never have the chance.

Next week...our final week.  Much of the academy experiences have been bittersweet.  This one might fall into that category as well. 

Bitter because we will not see every day the people we have gone through these life lessons and experiences together.  We have gone through all the ups and downs, we have overcome obstacles together, we have been irritated to no end with each other, we have laughed at and with each other, we have cried together, we have grown up together.

Sweet because we are on to the next chapter in our careers.  We are excited.  We are proud.  We feel accomplished.  We are ready to put to use our skills, education, and abilities.  We are ready to give back.  We are ready to make a difference.

Week 20, you were once so very far away and for awhile we did not think the end of the tunnel existed, but now we can see you and man are you bright! 

Week seventeen and eighteen-Driving Miss Daisy

Driving Miss Daisy...NOT!

Week 17 was all about the cones.  Everywhere you turned there were cones.  And not the frosty cones we all love on a hot summer's day.  

Bright, reflective, orange cones.

Backward driving-cones, changing lanes-cones, driving home in your personal car there were images of cones, in your dreams-more cones. 

Orange cones were always used for agility drills and/or used as dummy defenders in my world of basketball, and now I see them as other vehicles and pedestrians.

This week we drove, drove more, and drove a little more in every direction possible.  We have heard that in the academy driving is the best part.  I kept saying there is no way anything can get better than this or that, but it is true...driving was pretty fun.  Not much beats driving fast in a car with lights and sirens.  At times I was not in the driver's seat, but in the passenger seat with a classmate while they were driving and at times it felt like the "Tea Cup" ride at the amusement park.

We had an audience most of the time as well.  There is a heard of deer at the track that would camp out just close enough to watch but far enough away to not be in danger of our rookie driving skills.  You can tell our class was not their first rodeo. 

The biggest lesson learned at the track and throughout the entire driving course was multitasking and precision.  It was difficult at times to time a turn, not hit a cone, look ahead, talk on the radio, and stay in the lane.  After five days of practice and repetition it became much easier. 

We had a blast at the track.  One evening of night driving one of our classmates brought his grill and we had ourselves a nice little cookout.  The instructors were very professional but were also a lot of fun.  I can't imagine an instructor not enjoying themselves and watching all of us break in their brand new cones.

Week 18 was short because of the holiday.  We were able to take advantage of some time with Director Baca for some exam review which is never enough time.  There is so much we have learned it is not possible to review everything in a short amount of time.  We were all sponges and absorbed as much as possible. 

After a few days back in the classroom, we were in much need of a break.  We were all extremely thankful for the extra time with our families and the extra time to study our tails off for the POST exam.  When we return we have nine days left! 

Week sixteen-Swallow Lightning

This week my two biggest fears came true. 

Fear #1...snakes

Imagine being stuck in a pit full of snakes on steroids being poked at by a stick, or wrestling a caged alligator… Well I wasn't in a pit full of snakes but we did ground fighting for 4 hours straight. The next day I felt like I had done a four hour bicep curl while squeezing the thigh master for four hours straight.  We have learned how to fight smarter- not harder, but that doesn't mean our opponents get any smaller or lighter or weaker.  For four hours you are either on the offense or on the defense and both require mental and physical strength. The skills and fundamentals we have learned throughout the academy were reviewed and applied on each other for four hours on two different days.  Needless to say, this week was physically exhausting.

Fear #2...being struck by lightning.

Imagine swallowing a bolt of lightning.  Hard to imagine?  Try to imagine getting tazed.  Same thing.  We all had to go through the wonderful experience of swallowing lightning.  I actually think I would rather be struck by lightning than ever be tazed again. Lightning might mess up your hair, but it's over in a second.   The first brave recruit went and the rest of us watched with anticipation, fear, hesitation, anxiety....

One by one we all experienced the taser.  The macho recruits yelled, screamed, stiffened up, tried to stand up, everyone is affected differently.  The only difference between how the guys reacted and how the girls reacted was that the females swore like sailors.   There is something about knowing the taze is coming.   You are staring right at the taser when the instructor says, "taser, taser, taser," knowing on the third "taser" it's coming. 

I told myself I was going to tense up and just fight it out for five seconds then be done.  Nope.  The mind was having nothing to do with any of that.  I yelled a solid five second yell, my body went stiff as a board, and my mind left the building.  Being tased definitely makes for great conversation.

The whole experience brought our class together even more than we already were.  There was a sense of comfort knowing your brothers and sisters were right there with you going through the same awful experience and supporting you when you were done.

For us to be good at what we do it is imperative that we know the effects our tools have or do not have on people and see how differently each person reacts.  It is a valuable experience, just one that I will be at peace with if I never have to do it again. 

We still have to be OC sprayed which I heard is worse than being tased.  I can't imagine anything being worse than swallowing lightening, but...the academy continues to blow my mind each week.

Next week...driving!

Week fifteen-"When is it going to be our turn?"

This week was eye opening.  I realized the importance of writing good reports so I do not have to go to court.  We had a day of mock trial in the courtroom and that is a place if I never had to go in my career I would be okay with.  Two of the recruits somewhat got volun’told’ by the rest of the class to testify in court on a mock DUI case.  They both did an incredible job as it was the first time they have ever even been in a courtroom. They were on the stand with 12 of their recruits in the jury box and a courtroom full of classmates.  That was a valuable experience.

From there we had our wet lab with intoxicated role players in a controlled environment, of course.  All week we learned about SFST (Standardized Field Sobriety Testing) and how to recognize an intoxicated person and learn road side maneuvers.  This was accomplished in three days.  The instruction was incredible so the wet lab was a success.  We felt prepared and confident in our abilities.  Just like everything else we have learned, practicing road sides and keeping sharp is important in our careers. 

We had to test our on a written and practical on Wednesday and Thursday.  We had another late night Thursday night and had to turn around for an early morning on Friday with our regularly scheduled test first thing in the morning, but we expect the unexpected at this point.  The wet lab was also a very valuable experience, as well as being very fun for more than just the recruits.  The role players were very professional and we were very appreciative of their time and willingness to be a part of our learning experience.

  

Directing Traffic.  Yep.  There was something about being in the middle of lanes of traffic full of vehicles and being able to manage turning lanes, intersections, stopping, and pedestrians crossing...that was an adrenaline rush to me.  I have no idea what directing a symphony is like, but after 25 minutes of moving your arms and directing traffic you start to get creative.  I got done with my "shift" and high fived everyone like we had just won a game.  One of our staff members looked at me like I had lost my mind because it was just directing traffic.  Directing traffic beats a desk job any day of the week.  Once I have my first experience directing traffic in 100 degree weather or in the middle of a blizzard I might think differently.  For now, directing traffic in perfect weather is fun.  We even had a disgruntled elderly woman get out of her car and yell, "when is it going to be our turn!"  Now that is something you won't get in the classroom. 

This week we had a potluck.  My observation of the class being mostly single men solidified my decision to not fully participate in the potluck.  Not fully means that I brought five bananas and a year old box of Emergen C from my cupboard.  I'm a team player.  You can tell a lot about a person by what they bring to a potluck. 

We officially have 22 days left.  We officially act like brothers and sisters.  We officially get more ‘you'll be on your own’ talks. 

It's getting more and more real.  We are all getting anxious to get started with our agencies.  My thought has always been to stay in school as long as you can, but I have to admit I am getting anxious to start for my agency and be a part of an even bigger team.

Next week we have more ground fighting, we still have to meet the taser, learn what OC spray can do to us, and the best part of the academy from what I have heard....driving. 

We're ready.